Open Government Pledge signers advance to general elections for Tulsa municipal offices and House District 55 seat

Six signers of FOI Oklahoma Inc.’s Open Government Pledge will be on Tulsa’s municipal general election ballot Nov. 10.

A seventh signer, Republican Bill Christiansen, was re-elected to his Tulsa City Council District 8 seat in the Sept. 8 primary. He received 50 percent of the vote.

The House District 55 general election ballot on Oct. 13 will include signer Todd Russ, a Republican.

By signing the pledge, candidates promised “to support at every opportunity the public policy of the State of Oklahoma that the people are vested with the inherent right to know and be fully informed about their government so that they can efficiently and intelligently exercise their inherent political power.”

Municipal candidates also specifically promised that they and the public bodies they are “elected to govern will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws.”

In Tulsa's mayoral race, both party nominees, Democrat Tom Adelson and Republican Dewey Bartlett Jr., signed the pledge prior to the primary. Bartlett, however, has been criticized for having his divorce case sealed a day or so after signing the Open Government Pledge.

Other signers on the Tulsa ballot are Roscoe Turner, Democrat, Dist. 3; Jim Mautino, Republican, Dist. 6; G.T. Bynum, Republican, Dist. 9; and Phil Wood, Democrat, city auditor.

Legislative candidates specifically “pledge to support legislation to strengthen the letter and the spirit of Oklahoma's Open Meeting and Open Records laws.”


Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism

More candidates sign Open Government Pledge

Seven more candidates for Tulsa municipal offices or the House District 55 seat have signed FOI Oklahoma's Open Government Pledge.

In signing the pledge, candidates “endorse the purpose of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting and Open Records laws to ensure and facilitate the public’s understanding of governmental processes and problems.”

They also “pledge to support at every opportunity the public policy of the State of Oklahoma that the people are vested with the inherent right to know and be fully informed about their government so that they can efficiently and intelligently exercise their inherent political power.”

Among the most recent signers are mayoral candidates Robert Gwin, David Lee O'Connor and Paul Tay. Other Tulsa signers are City Council candidates G.T. Bynum, District 9; James S. Mautino, District 6; and Roscoe Turner, District 3.

Jeff Ledford, a candidate for Oklahoma House District 55, also returned a signed pledge.

A complete list of signers and the pledge are available at the FOI Oklahoma Web site.

Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism

FOI OK asks candidates for Tulsa muni offices and House Dist. 55 to sign Open Government Pledge

Candidates for Tulsa municipal offices and for the House District 55 seat in western Oklahoma have been asked to sign a pledge to uphold the letter and spirit of the state’s Open Meeting and Open Records laws.

Forty-two candidates for statewide, local or legislative offices have signed the Open Government Pledge since FOI Oklahoma Inc. began distributing it in 2008.

The most recent are Tulsa City Auditor Phil Wood, who is seeking re-election, and Rocky Frisco, a candidate for Tulsa City Council District 4.

In signing the pledge, candidates “endorse the purpose of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting and Open Records laws to ensure and facilitate the public’s understanding of governmental processes and problems.” They also “pledge to support at every opportunity the public policy of the State of Oklahoma that the people are vested with the inherent right to know and be fully informed about their government so that they can efficiently and intelligently exercise their inherent political power.”

Candidates for local offices pledge that they and the public bodies they are “elected to govern will comply with not only the letter but also the spirit of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting and Open Records laws.” Candidates for state legislative seats also promise to “support legislation to strengthen the letter and the spirit of Oklahoma’s Open Meeting and Open Records laws.”

Signers are listed on the FOI Oklahoma Web site, where the pledge form is available for download.

FOI Oklahoma began the Open Government Pledge in spring 2008 as part of a national effort to spur public commitments to government transparency from candidates for president down to city council contests.

But the pledge is just one step in making open government a priority in this state. Voters and the news media must make it a campaign issue. If we think it’s important, those seeking public office will, too.

Find out what candidates have done to support government transparency. Point out if incumbents have undermined our right to know. If candidates haven’t signed the pledge, ask why.

What if candidates don’t live up to these promises once elected?

Then we show them the door at the next election and elect people with the integrity to conduct our government in the open. Ultimately, it’s up to us – the voters – to hold our elected officials accountable.

In Tulsa, 43 candidates are vying for municipal offices. The primary is Sept. 8. The general election is Nov. 10. More information on the candidates can be found at The Tulsa World.

A special election is being held for House District 55, which covers Washita County and parts of Caddo, Canadian and Kiowa counties. Four candidates are seeking to replace a Democrat who accepted a federal agriculture post. The primary is Sept. 8, followed by the general election on Oct. 13.

Joey Senat, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
OSU School of Journalism